Category: Commentary

How Cool is This?

Last night I opened my email to find a letter from the Hillary Clinton campaign:

  
Without hesitation I clicked on the red RSVP now button and received a follow up email.

  
I was so excited I barely slept last night. Because I wasn’t familiar with the venue I got up extra early. Thanks to my GPS I was at the site a good two hours before the event.

The reward for my hyper punctuality came when I scored a front row spot. 

  
The crowd of like-minded folks chatted congenially while waiting over an hour after taking our places.

   
   
I tried to take a panoramic photo of the crowd inside the center, but failed miserably. Thus you get some random crowd shots from outside.

Several local dignitaries spoke, and then William Jefferson Clinton was introduced to raucous applause.

   
    
 Not long into his speech, former president Clinton’s notes fell from the podium. He never missed a beat, just toed them out of his way.

After speaking in his mix of down home and politically savvy style, all the time reminding us why Hillary should be our choice in tomorrow’s primary election, Mr. Clinton left the stage to shake hands with as many people as possible.

Remember that first row spot I found? It paid off:

  
Oh I wish I were a better selfie taker!

Go vote tomorrow if you live in Florida or Illinois, or any other state holding its primary. 

Peace, people!

Patches Says Rock Chalk Jayhawk

Our youngest cat has been totally into the Big 12 Championship game. We know she’s a Jayhawk fan even though she hasn’t actually said the words.

   
 
Peace, people!

Tree Heaven

 I guess I’m responsible for thousands of smiling trees. I wonder how they feel about e-readers? Relief? Survivor’s Guilt?  
Peace, people. 

Word to the Wise

 I sent Studly Doright this message in an email. Let’s see if he can pull off the jump back “no” move to my satisfaction.
Peace, people! 

You Say Tomatoes…

Apparently some say “Tomotoes”–taken in Corpus Christi, TX. 

 
Of course it might be a new food, full of vitamins and minerals and the key to eternal youth. Perhaps I should’ve stopped for a sample. 

Peace, people!

I’m too Fat for my Ukulele (and Other Stories from the Road)

No bull! 

At the Houston rodeo. I’d have won my event, except that my bull wasn’t real.
 
Apart from the skirt pulled up way too high–Erkel style under my boobs and the dainty sandals on my pretty feet I look like a real life bull rider. Right? Right? Why do I hear crickets?

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I own a ukulele now, purchased from a shop in Amarillo. So far, I know two notes, but the ukulele is small and my body is bulky. Together we look odd, like the instrument is being absorbed into my flesh. Like Jabba the Hut swallowing a little invertebrate whole. Gulp.

I’m not going to let appearances prevent me from learning to play the ukulele. Nossirree. But I might need to purchase a muumu just to complete the whole vibe.

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 Each day, the tattoo my nephew Russell bestowed upon me becomes prettier. I’ve tried to explain my feelings about it which go above and beyond anything I expected. 

Having never been a particularly attractive woman, it pleases me more than I can say to have such a beautiful piece of art adorning my body. It makes me feel happy. And just a little bit special. I only regret not having it done sooner. 

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One friend asked what I’d listened to during my adventure. If I were to try and list my choices in some kind of order, it might look like this:

Howard Stern on Sirius 100

  

John Fugelsang on INSIGHT Sirius/XM 121

 
Diane Rehm on NPR

 
An audiobook by John Scalzi
 
 
A V.I. Warshawski novel by Sara Paretsky
      
I also listened and sang along to the Classic Vinyl station, as well as the 60’s and 70’s stations on Sirius/XM. The comedy stations helped me cover many miles as well.

And then there were great distances without any sound other than that of my tires on pavement. Driving through the cities of Nashville, Kansas City, Dallas, and Houston required a great deal of concentration, and radio silence was a balm for my soul and a boost for my driving skills.

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Being home feels good. Today is a day for tackling mountains of laundry and snuggling cats, and for reading blog posts. I’ve been a terrible follower these past two weeks, clicking through blogs with nary a comment.

Thanks for all your positive vibes and support during my journey. Here’s a little Simon and Garfunkel to tie things up.

Peace, people!

http://youtu.be/7z9wd9bS1FM

The Adventure Continues

(Note: If you’ve happened upon my blog this evening for the first time, I’m chronicling an epic (for me) road trip that began on February 17, and will hopefully conclude on March 6, when I’m reunited with my husband, Studly Doright, and my two kitties, Patches and Scout.) 

Somehow I survived the rodeo and related events on Thursday night. With a heavy heart–at least a nine pounder, I left my brother’s home in Houston and headed three and a half hours south to see Studly Doright’s eldest sibling, the beauteous Lyn, who lives near Corpus Christie with her husband, Mike.

Mike is dealing with some serious health issues right now, but he’s tough as an old Texas boot, and I have every confidence he’ll recover fully. I just needed to go and give him a kick in the rear to facilitate his healing. He’ll thank me later.

I stayed the night with Lyn and made her buy me breakfast at Hester’s, a great bakery in Corpus Christie, before I dropped her off at the hospital where Mike is a reluctant guest. It was hard to leave her there. My heart gained an extra pound.

From the hospital I drove the overwhelming distance of 35 miles where I met my cousin Diane for coffee in Rockport. Diane and her husband have relocated to this Texas coastal town from California, and we hadn’t seen each other in years. 

  
We didn’t get to visit long, but it did my heart good to see her. Our first comments to each other were exclamations of how much we looked like our respective mothers. Again I said a sad goodbye and resumed my trip. My heart weighs at least 15 pounds at this point.

Finally I set my GPS to take me home. Of course I needed to stop for lunch–heavy hearts need extra calories–and came across a little barbecue place in the middle of nowhere.  

  

The pig statue at Auntie Jo’s Barbecue beckoned to me and soon I was enjoying a pulled pork sandwich.

  
This kitty kept me company as I ate. I might’ve snuck her a few bites from my sandwich. We bonded.

With lunch over I became serious about finding my way back to Doright Manor. The GPS informed me that I had 13 hours of driving ahead of me. With that in mind I set a goal to get at least half that distance behind me before stopping for the night. 

I almost made it, too! Unfortunately I ran out of daylight around the city of Lafayette, Louisiana. My night vision has never been great, but lately it is awful. 

Tomorrow I still have roughly seven hours to go before I get to see Studly and the cats. Tonight I’m tucked into a hotel bed, watching The People v. OJ Simpson on TV after having dined sumptuously on Taco Bell fare. Ah, the glamorous life! 

Good thoughts for Mike’s recovery and for safe travels will be greatly appreciated.

Peace, people!